Axminster loom



D66. 22, 1942. w ROBB 2,306,279

. AXMINSTER LCOM Filed Nov. 3, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WALTER Y Rosa Arronusv Dec. 22, 1942. ROBE 2,30 ,279

' AXMINSTER LOOM 'Filed Nov. 5, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2 lNviN'roR WALTER Y R055 A'rronuzv Dec. 22, 1942; v w. Y. RoBB AXMINS'IER .LOOM

Filed Npv. 3, 1941 3'SheetsSheet 3 INVENTOR WALTER 55 Ron ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 22, 1942 AXMINSTER LOOM Walter Y. Robb, Whitinsville, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 3, 1941, Serial No. 417,608

14 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Axminster looms and more particularly to the mechanism used for weaving fabrics the patterns of which appear on the back.

It has been proposed heretofore to use a series of plates aligned with the reed dents to define guide aisles for the tuft yarns which project from the tube frame. As heretofore constructed, however, the plates have moved around an axis eccentric with respect to the lay or reed axis and there has been a resultant relative angular motion between the adjacent edges of the reed dents and the guide plates as the lay moved forwardly. In order to effect most efficient guiding of the yarn the reed and plates should be very close to each other, but a close enough setting to satisfy the requirement for correct guiding of the tuft yarns when the lay is in one position will result in actual contact between the reed dents and the plates when the lay is in a different position, with the result that laterally projecting fibers are caught between the reed dents and the plates and the tuft yarns are held down when they should curve upwardly to form tufts.

It is an important object of my present invention to mount the guide plates on the same axis as that around which the reed dents move. By this construction adjacent edges of the reed dents and plates can be located close enough to effect correct yarn guiding and will preserve this relationship throughout the forward beat of the lay without danger of pinching or holding stray fibers on the tuft yarns.

The lays of Axminster looms are moved by a cam which, in a three shot Axminster, will beat the lay up to front center three times for each rotation of the cam. The guide plates come into action during but one of the three beats, or when tufts are being formed. It is a further object of my invention to cause the cam surface which beats the lay forward on tuft forming beats also to move the guide plates forwardly from the rear position to which they are moved by another cam preparatory to tuft formation.

In looms of the type to which my present invention more particularly relates there is employed a notched nose board in the slots of which fibers and cut portions of the tuft yarns tend to accumulate. When such material is packed into the nose board slots it interferes with the proper motion of the guide plates. It is another object of my present invention to provide the nose board with guide feet which have permanent guiding relation with the upper rear part of the guide plates but which will extend downwardly below the body of the nose board to define an open space through which the major part of the upper edges of the guide plates move. By this construction the guide plates carry the greater part of the fibers from positions in the nose board slots to the open space in front of the feet, thereby avoiding packing of fibers and cut tuft ends into the slots.

As heretofore constructed the under sides of the nose boards have had grooves which were extensions of the slots between the feet of the nose board teeth to receive the guide plates. The fibers have a tendency to accumulate in these grooves and it is a further object of my present invention to form the under side of the nose board with a smooth surface and rely upon the depending feet of the teeth to perform the guiding function for the plates formerly effected by the notches.

A further object of my invention relates to an improved clamp for the reed dents which will hold them in fixed position with respect to the lay.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of part of an Axminster loom having my invention applied thereto, the lay shaft being shown in section,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation taken in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, showing the supports for' the reed and separator guide plates,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a portion of the nose board taken parallel to the warp threads, together with a portion of a guide plate.

Fig. 4. is a bottom plan view looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l on a reduced scale showing the operating cams for the lay and guide plates, parts being omitted,

Fig. 6 is a front elevation looking in the direction of arrow 6, Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to part of Fig. 1 on a reduced scale showing the reed and guide plates in rear position.

The attached drawings show only that part of an Axminster loom to which my invention more particularly relates. For a fuller understanding of other parts of the loom and also for the relation between the rear edges tion between the reed dents and the guide plates reference may be had to Patent No. 1,958,129.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, the breast beam l8 supports a cloth board H having rearwardly projecting teeth l2 separated by slots or spaces 13 which receive the dents M of the reed designated generally at R. The upper rear part of each tooth is formed with a hook 15 which projects above the flat top surface I6 of the cloth board.

The reed is mounted on an elongated angle member l1 secured to arms is which extend upwardly from split hubs 19 having front and back sections 20 and 21, respectively, held together by bolts 22. The split hubs, one of which is shown in the drawings, are clamped firmly to the lay shaft ward and from the cloth board between the dotted and full line positions of Fig. 1 when the shaft oscillates to the left and to the right, respectively. The lay has a complete reciprocation for each beat of the loom, or for each insertion and retraction of the weft needle N indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 5.

The tube frame 26 may be of the usual form and has depending therefrom yarn tubes 21 from the lower ends of which project the tuft forming color yarns 28. By means of mechanism not shown herein the tube frame is dipped through the warp shed defined by the upper and lower binder wraps B and B2, respectively, after which the yarn tubes move forwardly in the usual manner to cause the tuft yarns to approach the teeth of the nose board. The reed then moves forwardly to beat up the pick of filling behind the tuft yarns and the latter over and to positions in front of the hooks 15. In actual practice the tube frame operating mechanism is so adjusted as to cause the lower ends of the yarn tubes 21 to move close to and in front of the reed dents l4 as the tuft yarn is through the warp shed. I

In order that the tuft yarns 28 may be guided to their respective teeth l2 there is provided a series of guide plates 30 shaped substantially as shown in Fig. 1 and mounted on a carrier 3| supported by an angle bar 32 extending across the loom. The bar 32 is mounted on spaced arms 33 and caused to move backwardly and forwardly by means of a vertically reciprocating rod 34 in such a manner as to move the plates 36 rearwardly when the reed is near back center position and after the tuft yarns have been dipped through the warp sheds.

The matter thus far cated hereinafter. may be substantially the same as set forth in the previously mentioned patent and operates in well-known manner.

In. carrying one feature of my present invention into effect I provide an improved mounting for the s aced arms 33 and guide plates 36. this mounting consisting of a bearing 40 on shaft 25 for each arm 33 and preferably split to have front and back parts 41 and 42, respectively, which are held together by bolts 43. The b lts do not clamp the bearing ti htly on the shaft 25 but permit free rotation of the arms 33 around the shaft independently of motion of any part carried by the shaft, such as the reed. Collars 45 may be secured to the shaft 25 to hold the split bearings 40 of the arms 33 in correct longitudinal position along the shaft 25.

In the operation of this part of my invention the guideplates 30 swing around the axis of the reed and there is therefore no change in angular posi- 56 of the plates 30 25 so that the reed oscillates to dipped described. except as indi- Y and the front edges 5| of the reed dents when the plates and dents move forwardly together.

During forward motion of the reed and guide plates the tuft yarns slide up the rear surfaces of teeth 12, and as they pass over the hooks l5 they are curved upwardly. By preserving the angular relationship mentioned I eliminate the possibility of pinching fibers projecting from the tuft yarns between the aligned reed dents and plates, thereby allowing the tuft yarns 28 to curve upwardly without hindrance.

Another feature of my invention relates to the mechanism for moving the guide plates and the relation of this mechanism to the lay. As shown in Fig. 5 the shaft 24 has secured thereto a cam web 46 having three spaced cam tappets 41 located for engagement with a lay actuating lever 48 movable about a fixed pivot 49. There are several cam webs and levers 48 arranged along the width of the loom and each lever will be connected by a link 52 to the bottom of an arm 53 depending from a hub l9. When shaft 24 completes a rotation in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 5, the lay will be given three complete reciprocations by the cam tappets 41. During the cycle of loom operations the lay will be in rear position on back center by reason of dwell 54 on plate 46 long enough to permit the previously described dipping of the tube frame.

A second cam 55 also secured to shaft 24 has a point 56 for cooperation with a lever 51 also pivoted at 49 and connected at its upper end to a forwardly extending link 58 which is attached to an arm 59 secured to a rocking shaft 60. The lower end of the rods 34 are connected to horizontal arms 6! secured to shaft 60.

Each hub 40 has a lug 62 for engagement with an operating screw 63 adiustably mounted in a lug 64 on an adjacent collar 45 which is fast on shaft 25. The operating screws 63 are fixed with respect to shaft 25 and the reed and are moved by a force derived from cam 46. Under normal conditions when the guide plates are forward and the reed is in back position the parts 62 and 63 will be spaced substantially as shown in Fig. 5.

In the operation of this second feature of my invention cam point 56 will come into action during the time that the reed is in rear position and under control of dwell 54 and will move lever 51 rearwardly to rock shaft in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5 to raise rods 34 and move the guide plates from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. During this rearward motion of the guide plates the lug 62 will move upwardly to engage the operating screw 63. The cam point 56 and the adjacent tappet 41 shown over shaft 24, Fig. 5, are so related that as shaft 24 continues to turn point 56 will permit lever 51 to move forwardly and lever 48 will act to move the reed forwardly, thereby causing a force derived from cam 46 to be transmitted through the operating screw 63 and lug 62 to the plates 30 to move them forwardly at the same rate as that at which the reed dents advance. The parts are so proportioned that the close proximity of edges 50 and 51 which exist at the beginning of the forward beat of the lay is maintained during motion forwardly from the dotted line toward the full line position of Fig. 1.

On the next two succeeding beats of the loom a dwell 65 on cam 55 will permit the guide plates to remain in their forward position. Suitable springs indicated in Fig. 5 hold the levers 48 and 51 against their respective cams and constitute part of the cam controlled mechanism for moving the reed and guide plates.

Another feature of my invention relates to the cloth board II, more particularly the shape of the teeth l2 and the under side of that part of the cloth board in front of the teeth. When the reedmoves to the full line position shown in Fig. l in order to form tufts any fibers which have been broken away from the tuft yarns are moved forwardly into the slots l3. After continued use cloth boards as heretofore constructed have become clogged with these fibers sufficiently to interfere with the proper motion of the guide plates and reed dents. In order to allow the major part of these fibers to fall out of the slots I3 I form each tooth l2 with a depending foot 70 the forward lower corner of which extends in front of the edges 50 and below the top H of the plates 3% when the latter are in their foremost position as shown in Fig. 3. The plates 30 are therefore always in register with the slots l3 and will be guided by their teeth into correct alignment with the reed dents.

The forward edge 12 of each foot l extends upwardly to a point considerably above the top edge I! of the plates 39 to define an open space 13 into which fibers can be moved by the reed dents. That part of the under side of the cloth board in front of the shoulders 15 which define the front limits of the slots I3 is smooth as indicated at T6 in Fig. 4 and therefore offers no projections or pockets to receive the fibers. Surface It can be smooth since it does not serve herein to guide the plates 33, that function being performed by slots 13 and the feet It. Be-

cause of the location of the axis of shaft with respect to the cloth board and the reed dents the latter are given a slight downward motion as they approach front center position the effect of which is to move fibers which may have accumulated in the upper forward parts of slots l3 downwardly into the space 73.

In the operation of this feature of my invention the reed edges El will move forwardly to the line a-a, Fig. 3 to keep those portions of the slots it behind line a-a substantially clear of lint and fibers. When the plates 38 are moved rearwardly their upper edges will move along an arc b-b, Fig. 3 to keep all portions of the slots therebelow clear of lint accumulations.

The only part of slot l3 not actually traversed by the reed dents or the plates is that portion lying in front of line aa, and above are 13-1), but this section is made quite narrow by reason of the opening or notch 13. When the plates 30 move forwardly, or to the left as viewed in Fig. 1, from the dotted line position to the full line position their front advancing edges, and also their tops, will move downwardly along the inclined arc bb to drag lint or accumulations out of the upper forward parts of the slots l3 into the space or notch 13 prior to arrival of the reed dents to their foremost position. The under surfa e it lies close to the arc bb, and there is consequently very little space in which any substant al mass of lint can accumulate under the cloth board.

In order that the reed dents may be held firmly in position on the lay I provide a bar 8!] notched at 8! to receive the reed dents. Bar 8-) is secured to the angle member I1 and has a bar 85 bolted as at 86 to its front face. The upper part of bar 85 has a rib 8'! formed with a fiat vertical rear face 88 which is forced against the front edges of the reed dents which project forwardly from the notches 8|. Surface 88 is at a level between the bottoms of the reed dents and the top of bar 85 and coperates with the back of the notches to hold the dents tightly in position,

. thus assisting in preserving the parallel relationship of the surfaces and 5i. While I have described the parts 62, 63 and M as the means for advancing the plates 36, these parts may also be used as a. safety device should failure occur in the spring which returns the plates to front position. In this use the plates will be moved forwardly by their return spring as permitted by cam point 56 with screw 63 slightly above lug t2 as the lay advances. If for any reason lever 5? should fail to follow down point 56 as lever 48 is moved rearwardly by the active tappet 41, the first part of the forward motion of the reed will cause screw 63 to engage lug 62 and positively move the plates 30 forwardly. Failure of the plates to move forwardly normally may be due to gradual stretch or breakage of the spring which returns them. A further use of the lugs is found in high speed looms where the plates 3!] tend to override their normal stroke due to lever 51 acquiring sufficient rearward momentum to leave cam point 56. Under these conditions lug 62 would engage screw 63 and arrest excess movement of the plates toward the reed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means for causing the plates 36 and the reed dents to move forwardly without substantial relative angular motion during a guiding operation with respect to the tuft yarns 28. The parallel motion of the edges 59 and 5! at this period in the loom cycle subjects the tuft yarns to a minimum of disturbance, thereby reducing the likelihood that lint or fibers will be torn from the color yarn to arrive ultimately into the slots l3, when the plates 30 move rearwardly and the tuft yarns are inclined toward the reed, as seen in Fig. '7. This parallel relationship also makes it possible to locate the surfaces 50- and 5! very close together without likelihood that any of the tuft yarns will be held down by pinching of protruding fibers between the reed dents and the plates 39. It will also be noted that the guide plates and reed dents are so controlled by their respective cams as to cause the plates to move forwardly in close but spaced relationship with respect to the reed dents by a force transmitted from the cam which operates the reed through the parts 63 and 64. thereby insuring the same rate of motion of the reed dents and guide plates as they turn about the shaft 25. It will also be seen that the under side of the cloth board has a smooth surface It in front of notch '53 and the latter extends upwardly above arc b--b and in front of the line a-c, as indicated in Fig. 3, thereby facilitating removal of those fibers which do not lie directly in the path of movement of either the reed dents or the plates 33. Also the forward portions of the teeth ii! on th cloth board are in permanent guiding relation with respect to the'plates 30. Furthermore, the broad surface 88 or bar assists in holding the front edges of the reed dents in fixed position relatively to the lay so that the aforementioned parallel motion can be preserved.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionand I do not wish to be limited to the details lier'eih disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In an Axminster loomhaving a tube frame provided with tuft yarns which project downwardly through the warp shed and between the binder warps thereof, the loom having also a set of stationary spaced teeth with hooks which bend the tuft yarns upwardly through the warp shed as the tuft yarns move forwardly over the hooks, a lay having a set of reed dents between which lie the binder warps, a set of guide plates each of which is aligned with a reed dent, a common pivotal support for the reed dents and guide plates, means to cause the plates and dents to approach each other by relative angular motion about said common center to define guide aisles for the tuft yarns extending through the sets of reed dents and guide plates, and other means to cause the sets of reed dents and guide plates to move forwardly together about said common pivotal support in substantially fixed relative angular relationship as the tuft yarns move forwardly over the hooks.

2. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame provided with tuft yarns which project downwardly through the warp shed and between the binder warps thereof, the 100m having also a set of stationary spaced teeth with hooks which bend the tuft yarns upwardly through the warp shed as the tuft yarns move forwardly over the hooks, a shaft extending across the loom, a lay mounted on and turning with the shaft and having spaced reed dents between which the binder warps extend, and means independent of the reed and binder warps and pivotally mounted on the shaft and movable under the warps to positions in alignment with the reed dents to guide the color yarns into spaces between the reed dents during the tuft forming operation.

3. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame provided with tuft yarns which project downwardly through the warp shed and between the binder warps thereof, the loom having also a set of stationary spaced teeth with hooks which bend the tuft yarns upwardly through the warp shed as the tuft yarns move forwardly over the hooks, a shaft extending across the loom, a reed secured to and movable angularly with the shaft, a set of spaced guide plates, means to mount the guide plates for pivotal motion around the axis of the shaft with the plates in alignment with the dents of the reed, means to move the guide plates toward the reed dents to form with the latter guide aisles for the tuft yarns, and means thereafter to move the reed dents and de plates forwardly together to guide the tuft yarns as the latter bend upwardly through the warp shed, the

reed dents and guide plates maintaining substantially the same angular relationship during the forward motion thereof due to motion of the guide plates about the axis of said shaft.

4. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame provided with tuft yarns which project downwardly through the warp shed and between the binder warps thereof, the loom having also a set of stationary spaced teeth with hooks which bend the tuft yarns upwardly through the warp shed as the tuft yarns move forwardly over the hooks, a shaft extending across the loom, a reed having spaced dents secured to and movable angularly with the shaft, spaced guide plates in alignment with the reed dents, means to support the guide plates for movement about the axis of said shaft, means to move the guide plates around said axis of the shaft toward the reed dents to locate adjacent edges of the plates and dents in close but spaced relationship to define guide aisles for the tuft yarns, and means operative as the tuft yarns move forwardly. and over said hooks to move the reed dents and the guide plates forwardly in said close but spaced relationship and about said axis of the shaft to maintain the guide plates in alignment with their respective reed dents, movement of said reed dents and guide plates about the axis of the shaft preserving a, substantially fixed angular relationship between adjacent edges of the reed dents and the guide plates.

5. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame provided with tuft yarns which project downwardly through the warp shed and between the binder warps thereof, the loom having also a set of stationary spaced teeth with hooks which bend the tuft yarns upwardly through the warp shed as the tuft yarns move forwardly over the hooks, a shaft extending across the loom, a reed having spaced dents secured to and movable angularly with the shaft, each dent having a front edge, a set of spaced guide plates pivotally mounted on the shaft and each having a rear edge, means to move said plates about the shaft to position the rear edges of said plates in close proximity to but spaced from the front edges of the reed dents to form guide aisles for the tuft yarns, and means to cause the reed dents and guide plates to move forwardly with the adjacent edges of said dents and plates in spaced relationship about the axis of the shaft as a common center to preserve the angular relationship between said rear edges of the guide plates and the adjacent front edges of the reed dents as the tuft yarn moves forwardly over said hooks.

6. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame from which project tuft yarns, a lay having spaced reed dents, a set of spaced guide plates in front of the reed, each guide plate being aligned with a reed dent, a lay cam having regularly recurring operating movements, lay connected means cooperating with the cam to reciprocate the lay between front and back positions, means to move the guide plates rearwardly to positions adjacent to the reed dents to form therewith guide aisles for the tuft yarns when the lay is in back position, and means to cause the cam to move the guide plates forwardly when the cam cooperates with the lay connected means to move the lay forwardly.

'7. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame from which project tuft yarns, a lay having spaced reed dents thereon, a set of guide plates each aligned with one of the reed dents and in front of the latter, lay actuating means to move the lay and reed dents backwardly and forwardly, means to move the guide plates rearwardly to positions in close proximity to the reed dents when the latter are in rear position to form guide aisles for the tuft yarns, and mechanism to connect the guide plates to the lay when said guide plates are in rear position to cause the lay actuating means to move the reed dents and the guide plates forwardly simultaneously.

8. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame from which project tuft yarns, a lay having spaced reed dents, lay actuating means to reciprocate the lay to cause the reed dents to move backwardly and forwardly, spaced guide plates in front of the lay, each guide plate being aligned with one of the reed dents, means independent of the lay to move the guide plates rearwai'dly to positions in close proximity to but spaced from the reed dents when the latter are in rearward position to form guide aisles for the tuft yarns, and mechanism to cause a force to be transmitted from the lay actuating means to the guide plates to move the latter forwardly when the reed dents are moved forwardly by said lay actuating means.

9. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame from which project tuft yarns, a lay having spaced reed dents, lay actuating means to reciprocate the lay to cause the reed dents to move backwardly and forwardly, spaced guide plates in front of the lay each aligned with one of the reed dents, cam controlled means to move the guide plates rearwardly to positions in proximity to the reed dents when the latter are in rear position to form guide aisles for the tuft yarns, and mechanism thereafter operative to cause the lay actuating means to move the guide plates forwardly when the reed dents are moved forwardly by he lay actuating means.

10. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame from which project tuft yarns, a lay having spaced reed dents, lay actuating means to reciprocate the lay to cause the reed dents to move backwardly and forwardly, spaced guide plates in front of the lay each aligned with one of the reed dents, means operative when the reed dents are in rearward position to move the guide plates rearwardly to positions in proximity to the reed dents to form guide aisles for the tuft yarns, and two cooperating parts one of which moves with the guiding plates and the other of which moves with the lay, the lay actuating means when moving the reed dents forwardly causing cooperation between said two parts to cause forward motion of the guide plates simultaneously with the forward motion of the reed dents.

11. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame from which project tuft yarns, a lay having spaced reed dents, lay actuating means to reciprocate the lay to cause the reed dents to move backwardly and forwardly, spaced guide plates in front of the lay each aligned with one of the reed dents, a common pivotal mounting for the guide plates and the lay to cause said guide plates and lay to move about the same axis, means operative when the reed dents are in rearward position to move the guide plates rearwardly to positions in proximity to the reed dents to form guide aisles for the tuft yarns and two cooperating parts one of which moves with the guiding plates and the other of which moves with the lay, the lay actuating means when moving the reed dents forwardly causing cooperation between said two parts to cause forward motion of the guide plates simultaneously with the forward motion of the reed dents. I

12. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame from which project tuft yarns, a shaft extending across the loom, a lay secured to the shaft and having spaced reed dents thereon, a set of yarn guide plates each aligned with a reed dent, means to mount the guide plates for pivotal motion on the shaft, shaft actuating means to rock the shaft to cause the reed dents to move hackwardly and forwardly, means to move the guide plates rearwardly to positions in proximity to the reed dents when the latter are in rearward position to form guide aisles for the tuft yarns, and means operated thereafter by a force transmitted through the shaft to move the guide plates forwardly when said shaft rocks in a direction to move the reed dents forwardly.

13. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame from which project tuft yarns, an oscillating shaft extending across the loom, a lay secured to the shaft and having spaced reed dents, a set of guide plates each aligned with and in front of a reed dent, means to mount the guide plates for pivotal motion around the shaft, means independent of the shaft to cause the guide plates to move pivotally around said shaft in a rearward direction toward positions in proximity to the reed dents to form guide aisles for the tuft yarns, and means thereafter operative to cause the shaft to move both the reed dents and the guide plates in a forward direction simultaneously around the axis of the shaft.

14. In an Axminster loom having a tube frame from which project tuft yarns, an oscillating lay having reed dents movable backwardly and forwardly with the lay, a set of guide plates each aligned with a reed dent, said guide plates normally being in forward position relatively to the reed dents, a pair of normally spaced cooperating parts one moving with the lay and the other moving with the guide plates, and means to move the guide plates rearwardly toward positions in proximity to the reed dents to form guide aisles for the tuft yarns and cause engagement of said parts, forward motion of the lay thereafter to cause the reed dents to move forwardly being communicated through said parts to move the guide plates forwardly simultaneously with the reed dents.

WAL'I'ER Y. ROBB. 

